VERIFY: Who gets paid during a government shutdown?

We're entering the third week of the federal government shutdown. Who is still getting their paychecks on time?

Author:
Mila Mimica, Cristin Severance

Published:
11:39 AM PST January 7, 2019

Updated:
8:06 AM PST January 8, 2019

As the federal shutdown reaches its third week, we wanted to see which federal employees are still getting their paychecks.

There are more than 800,000 employees on the federal government's payroll affected by the shutdown that began on Dec. 22, 2018.

About 500,000 of those workers have been deemed essential, so they're still working -- but not getting a paycheck. This includes FBI agents, TSA agents and officers with Customs and Border Protection.

More than 300,000 others are simply out of work and furloughed.

Who's getting their regular paychecks?

Pres. Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, administration officials, cabinet members, members of the Senate and House, as well as Supreme Court Justices are all getting their regular paychecks during the shutdown.

Military

Most members of the military (Navy, Army, Air Force and Marine Corps) are getting regular pay because they are funded through the Department of Defense, whose 2019 fiscal appropriations were approved last September.

The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security, and despite working through the shutdown, wasn't supposed to receive regular pay.

Homeland Security had come up with $75M for the Dec. 31 pay period to pay Coast Guard members, but if the shutdown continues into mid-late January, they won't receive a paycheck.

In the meantime, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would pay the Coast Guard.

Contract workers

Those completing work for the government will likely not receive back pay.

Will employees working through the shutdown get their money?

Yes, eventually. Congress deemed those 500,000+ employees who are working through the shutdown will receive back pay once the government reopens.

However, employees who have been furloughed are not guaranteed back pay for all those missed weeks of work. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced legislation that would retroactively pay those furloughed workers once the government reopens.